How to Pose a Holland Lop

Every breed of rabbit has a unique 'breed pose', which is a position the rabbit is set up in during a rabbit show for the judge to assess their conformation. Part of how each breed is judged is how well the rabbit is built to naturally sit in the show pose. Holland Lops are no exception. Hollands are a compact breed, meaning they are short, deep, and wide with a small body size. Most compact breeds pose in a small rounded block shape with the head down, whereas Holland Lops (along with Netherland Dwarf and Lionhead) naturally want to sit with the head up.

So why do you want your Holland Lop to pose? Well, it's very important for judges to be able to properly evaluate your rabbit at a show. If your rabbit poses readily, it makes the judge's life a whole lot easier, and it means your rabbit will likely place higher in the class. Another reason you want your Holland Lops to pose is to evaluate them and know their faults and strengths. This will help you choose which to keep and which to sell, and will help you choose which rabbits to breed to which. Also, if you are in 4-H or FFA, you will want your Holland Lop to pose for Showmanship.

Helping me with this article is LOL Eclipse, a black otter jr doe. I chose to use her to show you that even at her young age, she is able to sit in the proper breed pose for a Holland Lop. If a rabbit can't pose at 8 weeks old, it won't ever be able to pose.

Take a look at the picture below:

The rabbit above is an example of under-posing. Notice how this rabbit is flat to the table with a low head set. This sort of resembles the pose you would see in breeds like the Mini Lop, which pose with the head down. You do NOT want your Holland Lop to pose like this. Any Holland that will not pose any higher than this due to its structure is extremely undesirable.By looking at this picture, you would think Eclipse has an extremely long midsection, sloped hindquarter, and a long/low shoulder. This is all because of the incorrect pose she is set up in.NOTE: Eclipse was fighting me every step of the way when I tried to get her to pose with the head down, because she has the correct structure to sit with her head up in the proper head mount.

Now take a look at the picture below:

This is an example of over-posing. Yes, we want a high head mount, but we don't want to squish the rabbit up so much that its front legs are touching its back legs! A lot of beginners make this mistake and then think they've got a better rabbit than they actually have. Over-posing molds an inferior rabbit into how a Holland Lop should look. Over-posing makes the rabbit look shorter and often wider than it actually is, and it forces the rabbit's head too high. Yes, there is such a thing as too high. If you are looking at a sale rabbit that is as extremely over-posed as Eclipse is here, either don't buy the rabbit, or ask for a properly posed picture.By looking at this picture, you would think that Eclipse is EXTREMELY short, more so than she actually is. It also makes her rear feet look kinda huge lol.NOTE: Eclipse was all too happy to over-pose, given the opportunity. Many/most Hollands would eagerly over-pose, so it is up to you to train them not to do so.

Now take a look at this picture:

This is an example of the correct pose for a Holland Lop. It demonstrates whether she's got proper breed type, by showing off her strengths and her faults rather than exaggerating or masking them. It shows off her nice body, while also showing her slightly long front limb. It also affects how she carries her head, so her crown is able to rest in its natural position for evaluation.By looking at this picture, you are able to tell a LOT about how Eclipse is built, by being able to see both her strengths and faults. In this pose, her front feet are lined up with her eye, and her rear feet are lined up with her hip.NOTE: Eclipse LOVES to sit in her proper pose, because she is built to, and because she has been trained to. Since she's young and still learning, I get her out a few times a week to pose her so that she remembers to sit still and not give me a hard time. Don't forget, however, that training does not correct structural weakness. Some rabbits, even with months of training, just cannot pose because it's not how they are meant to look.

​Now...here's how you actually make your rabbit pose. Eclipse was very easy to pose, as she is built correctly, and she is worked with on a fairly regular basis.

I have my hand on her hindquarter, and I gently lift her hindquarters and reset them on the table. This puts her legs and hindquarter in whatever the natural position is for her.

Basically, I'm cradling her head on either side, and gently scooping her head up in a series of small, gentle upward lifts. You want to be gentle, but firm. The rabbit might struggle backwards a bit, so hold their hindquarter steady with your other hand. It may take a few tries (and seeing an expert do it in person) before you can master the technique. It isn't cruel or uncomfortable for the rabbit, so don't worry about hurting him/her or being mean.

There we go! There's a nice pose. Once I feel her head lift off my hand, I take my hands away and let her sit there by herself. At first, your rabbit may instantly break the pose, so gently put them back into position. Repeat this as many times as needed if the rabbit continues to move off the pose. Ultimately, the rabbit will realize the only way you stop messing with them is if they stay still. It's the same sort of pressure/release system as is used in horse riding. Keep insisting until you get the behavior you want, then release the pressure as a reward. Holland Lops tend to be inquisitive creatures, so may want to break the pose more easily than many other breeds. Oftentimes you'll see a Holland Lop on the show table rearing up, exploring, demanding cuddles, or attempting to influence the judge with their charming personality! This is what makes our breed so unique and lovable!

​Usually with a little bit of work, your rabbit will start to behave himself/herself and will sit up easily. However, sometimes a rabbit will simply refuse to pose. There are 3 basic reasons why your rabbit might not be posing:1. They haven't been trained properly, or haven't been trained at all.2. They aren't structurally built to pose.​3. You're being too slow.4. You're being too rough.

Sometimes, your rabbit might not be posing because he's a jerk. This is just because he hasn't been trained, it isn't a lost cause. Usually these rabbits will wiggle, box, run, and scamper away. A lot of rabbits are very feisty or curious, and cannot bear to sit still. Some rabbits don't like having their face touched, so will try and box their owners if they try and lift the head up. Sometimes they're fearful or stubborn. Sometimes they're old brood does, who rarely want to pose (you can excuse this as long as they posed well in their younger days). These does often flop once you take your hand away, which usually has less to do with conformation and more to do with stubborn, lazy exhaustion. Please note it is harder to train an adult rabbit to pose from scratch than to start training as young kits. You CAN train an old dog (or rabbit) new tricks, but it's a whole lot harder than teaching a 5 week old.

On the other hand, sometimes a part of the rabbit's conformation, such as a long midsection or a low shoulder, means that the rabbit isn't naturally going to have the high head mount when posed properly. That's just how the rabbit is built, and no amount of wishing or practice will make that go away. Oftentimes, these rabbits will lean very heavily on your hand when you try and pose them, and, being drama queens, will flop pathetically out of their poses once you move your hand away. Holland Lops that cannot sit up in the breed pose are not going to be worth breeding. They would most likely never place well on the show table either.